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On concepts, conceptions, and conceptors: remarks ‘On the concept of law’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 December 2020

Knut Traisbach Open the ORCID record for Knut Traisbach [Opens in a new window]
Knut Traisbach*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, University of Barcelona and Department of Society, Politics and Sustainability, University Ramon Llull, ESADE, Barcelona, Spain
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: traisbach@ub.edu
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Abstract

In order to understand the concept of law, that is to understand what law is and does, Friedrich Kratochwil proposes to look at how we ‘use’ norms and relate them to actions. His approach promises less theoretical impasses and the ability ‘to go on’. These comments contend that a focus on ‘norm practice’ can only provide a particular understanding of how law functions. The article further suggests that the proposition and contestation of conceptions of law, including the uses of law these conceptions enable and legitimize, form part of the social practice of law. This calls for a comparative perspective.

Keywords

Concept of lawconceptionsexpertizationconceptual comparativism
Type
Symposium: In the Midst of Theory and Practice: Edited by Hannes Peltonen and Knut Traisbach
Information
International Theory , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , November 2021 , pp. 530 - 537
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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